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AT&T to enable DirecTV Now casting using wireless broadband

Enabling OTT enthusiasts to enjoy a true cord-cutting experience, AT&T has reportedly worked with Motorola, via its Moto Mods program, to create a new smartphone-controlled add-on device that casts DirecTV Now service to the living room TV.

This is according to Android Authority, which says the new product will be called the AT&T Mobile TV Cast. The report didn’t include any pricing information. The dongle plugs into TVs just the way Google’s Chromecast does. It’s also unclear as to whether it connects via USB or HDMI.

Motorola has enjoyed some success with its Moto Mods, which allow the smartphone maker to partner with other companies to create new functionality.

AT&T, which sells its base DirecTV now virtual MVPD tier at $35 a month, has already enabled the service to be streamed without data limits for AT&T wireless subscribers.

AT&T said last week that its linear pay TV services lost 390,000 customers in the third quarter, while DirecTV Now picked up 300,000 new customers during the three-month period.

The telco doesn’t seem to be worried that aggressive promotions for the vMVPD will lead to more cannibalization. Today, it announced a new promo in which customers who prepay for two months of DirecTV Now service will get a free Roku Streaming Stick.

The updated Roku Streaming Stick's casting capability means AT&T's reported new dongle may already be late to the game when it comes to screen casting.

AT&T also announced the addition of three local channels to its service: Fox affiliate WVUE-TV and NBC local WDSU-TV in New Orleans; NBC station WGAL-TV in Harrisburg-Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and NBC affiliate WXII-TV in Greensboro-Winston-Salem, North Carolina.